"Awesome - Absolutely"

These two responses have wearied my mind by their overuse. They are not only passe' (worn out) responsive words, but very un-intellectual. It is a "monkey see - monkey do" mentality that thoughtlessly replaces meaning with repetition.

In their overuse, thoughtful minds avoid their appropriate and beneficial use because of it. They are highly expressive words avoided by careful speakers and writers simply because of thoughtless repeition by others. It is a shame when they are surrendered because of careless general overuse.

And "awesome"? A spellbinding sunset, or a fascinating electric storm, or the endless crashing of the surf, or the sparkling array of the stars, or the incomparable beauty of a rose, or the amazing twinkle of a baby's eyes, or the unsurpassed power of a smile, or the indiscriminate wagging of a dog's tail, or the incredible ability to think and speak and smell and taste and hear and see, or the precious gifts of balance, breathing, appetite, co-ordination and dexterity...THESE THINGS ARE AWESOME! Hamburgers and ballgames and stuff and such are not.

"Absolutely" is rarely correctly used, for it properly involves a finality, a supremacy and an uniquity that forbids casual usage. It is generally intended by casual speakers to imply a certainty that is unrightful. It implies a superiority that can rarely be supported in fact. I hear it regularly used when there is no basis in fact - possibly even "absolutely" no support in reality.

As with "awesome" the word "absolutely" probably would not be so offensive to thoughtful speakers if it had not devolved into such continuous mis-use.

If the right word is used, there is no need to enhance or embellish it. Words have power, and expression
is most comfortable in carefulness.